Dancing with the Stars pro Brandon Armstrong recently opened up about finally getting his “dream smile” with veneers — a smile he’d wanted for years but held off on because of insecurity about the process itself. His candid admission that he felt self-conscious about his teeth for a long time, and his relief after the transformation, landed in headlines this week and resonated with a lot of people who feel the same way.
It’s a genuinely useful story. Not because celebrity dental work is inherently interesting, but because Armstrong’s experience tracks so closely with what our team hears from patients in South San Francisco all the time: “I’ve been thinking about veneers for years. I just don’t know where to start, what they actually do to your teeth, or whether I’m even a good candidate.” Those are the right questions, and they deserve honest answers.
Here’s what his smile makeover actually teaches you about the veneer process — the real one, not the glossy version.
Why People Wait (And Why That Hesitation Makes Sense)
Armstrong reportedly felt insecure about his teeth for years before doing anything about it. That is far more common than most people admit. The American Dental Association’s research consistently finds that cost concerns and anxiety about procedures are the two biggest reasons people delay cosmetic dental work. Veneers sit in a particular zone of hesitation: they’re visible, they’re a commitment, and there’s a lot of noise out there about whether they damage your natural teeth.
So the fact that Armstrong talked openly about years of insecurity before finally moving forward isn’t a celebrity quirk. It’s the most relatable part of the whole story.
What Veneers Actually Are (And Are Not)
A veneer is a thin shell of porcelain — typically somewhere between 0.3 and 0.7 millimeters thick — that bonds to the front surface of a tooth. It can change the color, shape, length, and surface texture of a tooth. Done well, the result looks completely natural because porcelain reflects light the way natural enamel does.
What veneers are not: they are not caps, they are not the same as crowns, and they are not a fix for structural damage or significant decay. A crown covers the whole tooth. A veneer covers the front face only. That distinction matters a lot when your dentist is deciding which option is right for your particular situation.
They also aren’t a substitute for healthy gums or good foundational oral health. Before any veneer case moves forward, a dental team needs to confirm there’s no active gum disease, no significant grinding habit that hasn’t been addressed, and enough healthy enamel to bond to. Skipping that evaluation is how people end up with veneers that fail prematurely.
The Prep Question: Does Getting Veneers Ruin Your Teeth?
This is the fear that stops more people than almost anything else, and it’s worth addressing directly.
Traditional veneers do require some enamel removal — typically a very thin layer from the front of the tooth — to make room for the porcelain shell so it doesn’t look bulky or unnatural. That enamel doesn’t grow back, which means once you commit to veneers, you’re committing to having some kind of restoration on those teeth for life. That’s not a scare tactic; it’s just an accurate description of the tradeoff.
The good news is that the amount of enamel removed in a well-planned veneer case is genuinely small, and modern porcelain is strong enough that many patients have their veneers last 10 to 20 years before any replacement is needed — sometimes longer. Research published through NIH on porcelain veneer longevity generally supports 10-plus-year survival rates when veneers are properly placed and the patient maintains good oral hygiene and avoids heavy biting forces on the restorations.
There are also “prepless” or minimal-prep veneers for patients who qualify — situations where the teeth are small enough, or set back enough, that very little or no reduction is needed. Not everyone is a candidate for that approach, but it’s worth asking about if enamel preservation is your primary concern.
The question to ask your dentist: “How much tooth reduction will my case require, and am I a candidate for a minimal-prep approach?” A good answer will be specific to your teeth, not a generic sales pitch.
How Many Teeth? The “Complete Smile” Conversation
One thing celebrity veneer cases tend to show — Armstrong’s included — is a complete, even smile across the upper (and sometimes lower) front teeth. That’s usually 8 to 10 upper veneers to cover the “smile zone,” the teeth visible when you smile and talk.
But not everyone needs or wants that many. Some patients come in wanting to address two or three teeth that have always bothered them — a chipped tooth, one that’s noticeably shorter than the others, or a single tooth with deep staining that whitening won’t touch. A single veneer is a legitimate treatment. So is a set of four. The number should match your actual goals, not a template.
The trickier part of doing just one or two veneers is shade-matching. Porcelain can be tinted to blend with your existing teeth, but it doesn’t respond to whitening the way natural enamel does. So the standard approach for a partial veneer case is to whiten first, let the shade stabilize, and then match the veneer to the new shade. If you’re planning veneers and also want to whiten, the sequence matters.
What the Process Actually Looks Like Day to Day
Traditional veneers typically take two to three appointments. The first is the consultation and planning visit. The second involves preparing the teeth, taking impressions (or digital scans), and placing temporary veneers while the lab fabricates the permanent ones. The third is the bonding appointment, where the finished porcelain shells are checked for fit and color, adjusted if needed, and cemented in place.
The temporaries you wear between appointments are functional but not your final result — they’re meant to protect the prepped teeth and give you a preview of the general shape. Most patients feel some sensitivity during this phase, which resolves once the permanent veneers are bonded.
The bonding appointment itself is the one that tends to surprise people with how detail-oriented it is. Getting the shade and translucency right, confirming the bite, making micro-adjustments — it’s meticulous work. A rushed bonding appointment is not a good sign.
Cost: What to Expect (Without Sugarcoating It)
Veneers are not cheap, and there’s no point pretending otherwise. National averages typically run somewhere between $900 and $2,500 per tooth depending on the material, the complexity of the case, and the experience level of the dentist. In the San Francisco Bay Area, you’ll generally be at the higher end of that range. These are national ballpark figures — not our office’s prices; your dentist will give you a personalized estimate after examining your teeth.
Dental insurance almost never covers veneers, treating them as cosmetic. Some financing plans (CareCredit, Lending Club) can spread the cost out over time, which is worth asking about if the upfront number is the barrier.
The cost per tooth tends to discourage people from doing a full smile set, which is understandable. But for people like Armstrong who’ve spent years feeling self-conscious about their smile, the math often shifts when they weigh the daily psychological impact against the one-time cost. That’s a genuinely personal calculation, not one a dentist should make for you.
When Veneers Might Not Be the Right Answer
Veneers do a lot of things well. They don’t do everything, and a good dentist will tell you when something else fits better.
If your main concern is tooth color and your enamel is in good shape, professional whitening gets you a long way without any enamel prep at all. If you have minor chips or gaps, cosmetic dental bonding in South San Francisco can often address them in a single appointment at significantly lower cost — composite bonding is less durable than porcelain but much more conservative. If alignment is the real issue, Invisalign clear aligners might be the better starting point, with cosmetic work layered on afterward if still needed.
And if a tooth has significant structural damage, decay, or has had a root canal, a full dental crown provides better protection than a veneer that only covers the front surface.
The honest answer about which option you actually need requires looking at your teeth — not just your aesthetic goals, but the underlying health of your enamel, gums, and bite. No article (including this one) can replace that exam.
The Bottom Line
Brandon Armstrong’s story is relatable precisely because the hesitation was real. Years of wanting a different smile, followed by the decision to actually do something about it — that arc resonates because a lot of people are somewhere in the middle of it right now.
What his case illustrates well: veneers work, they can be genuinely life-changing for the right candidate, and the process is more thoughtful than a single dramatic “reveal” suggests. The prep questions are worth asking. The timeline is worth understanding. And the decision about how many teeth and which material is one that should come from a careful exam, not a trend.
If you’ve been thinking about veneers for a while — or just wondering whether they’re even the right option for your particular situation — a no-pressure consultation is the obvious first step. Our team in South San Francisco works through exactly these questions every day.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do porcelain veneers last?
With proper care, porcelain veneers typically last 10 to 20 years, and sometimes longer. Longevity depends on maintaining good oral hygiene, avoiding habits like biting fingernails or chewing ice, and wearing a night guard if you grind your teeth. Your dentist will monitor them at regular checkups and let you know when replacement is approaching.
Do veneers hurt?
The prep appointment may involve some sensitivity, especially if enamel reduction is required. Local anesthetic is used during the procedure, so you shouldn’t feel the work itself. Most patients experience mild sensitivity for a few days after the temporaries are placed and again after bonding, but it typically resolves quickly. Significant ongoing pain is not normal and should be reported to your dentist.
Can you whiten veneers?
No. Porcelain does not respond to whitening treatments the way natural enamel does. Once your veneers are placed, their shade is fixed. This is why dentists recommend whitening your natural teeth before veneer placement, so the porcelain can be matched to your whitened shade. If you want whiter veneers later, replacement is the only option.
Are veneers covered by dental insurance?
In most cases, no. Dental insurance typically classifies veneers as a cosmetic procedure and does not cover them. Some plans may cover a portion of the cost if there is a documented functional reason (such as a fractured tooth), but purely aesthetic veneer cases are almost always out-of-pocket expenses. Many dental offices offer third-party financing options to help spread the cost over time.
Written by the Vaksman Dental Group team and medically reviewed by Dr. Irena Vaksman, DDS — South San Francisco. Last reviewed August 2026.